Lanterman’s Board of Directors

Lanterman is a private, non-profit organization under contract with the state of California to provide services and supports for people with developmental disabilities, and we serve a specific geographic area. But we are not a state agency – we are something unique – a local organization governed by a board of directors whose members are individuals with developmental disabilities, family members, community leadersand professionals.

The board’s most important role is the overall governance of the Regional Center and also to make sure that the Center is conducting business in a way that fulfills the promise of the Lanterman Act.

The board of directors has a number of key functions and responsibilities including:

Board members are responsible for looking at, and balancing the needs of our entire community. They help people understand and support the work of the Center on behalf of our community members with developmental disabilities, and work to improve the service delivery system.

Looking for New Talent…with experience

As a mutli-million dollar corporation, Lanterman Regional Center is always interested in recruiting board and committee members who have backgrounds in finance, fundraising, community relations, marketing, public relations, law, personnel and other related areas. Should you or someone you know be interested in volunteering in such a capacity, contact Frank Lara at 213.383.1300, x. 4902 or flara@lanterman.org. Please note, potential board members must live or work in Lanterman's service area to even be eligible to be a board member.

Board Welcomes Your Attendance at its Meetings

Anyone in the community is welcome to attend Lanterman’s board of directors meeting. The monthly meeting is conducted on the fourth Wednesday of every month at 6 p.m. Meetings are held at Lanterman Regional Center. Contact Frank Lara in advance at 213.383.1300, x. 4902 or flara@lanterman.org so you can be placed on the list of attendees.

Meet Lanterman’s Board Members and Advisors

Louis Mitchell is currently a senior marketing strategist with MUFG Union Bank. He has over 25 years of a wide-range of marketing and management experience with several major banks (First Interstate, Wells Fargo and Banco Popular). Read more ...

As a member of Lanterman's board of directors, Ray Lemus brings over six years of leadership experience managing the Acquisition Planning and Compliance section, and more recently the Contract Management Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Read more ...

Karla Garcia Diaz — Secretary

Karla has been on the board for several years, and as the board secretary, she also serves on the Executive Committee. As the parent of a young daughter with autism, she provides support to other parents through the Koch-Young Resource Center as a peer support partner. She also sits on the Center's Programs and Services Committee and the Self-Determination Advisory Committee.

Larry DeBoer brings nearly 40 years of experience in insurance and risk management to Lanterman's board of directors, including 11 years with a national insurance company and the balance with global broker Aon, the second largest global insurance and risk management and insurance brokerage firm. DeBoer is the chief administrative officer for the Aon's Southern California operations. Read more ...

Al Marsella, a West Hollywood CPA and business manager, is a founding member of the Los Angeles County Developmental Services Foundation, where he served on the Program Policy Committee. Read more ...

Dr. Anthony Stein

Anthony is president of Safety Research Associates. As a small business owner, as well as a parent of a son receiving services from the regional center, he brings many skills to the board of directors. He also has a long history of volunteering for a variety of community organizations and his "get the job done" attitude is much appreciated.

Edwina Hull

Edwina moved into Lanterman's catchment area a couple of years ago and quickly became involved in the governance of the regional center. She started by participating in the Client Advisory Committee and then joined the board of directors in 2014.

Jack Gilbertson

Jack is both an attorney and a certified public accountant and has over 20 years experience in providing legal, compliance, financial, tax and consulting services to clients in the health industry. He has served on the Lanterman board since June 2013.

Johanna Chavez

Johanna Chavez joined Lanterman's board of directors in August 2016. She has been on Lanterman's Client Advisory Committee (CAC) since April 2013. She lives with her grandparents in Los Angeles and has been attending the Ability First Work Center where she is involved in secure document shredding, assembly, packaging, sorting, collating and mailing. In her free time, she enjoys being with her family and listening to music.

John Poulos

John has recently begun serving a second term as a member of the Lanterman board of directors. As someone who receives services from the regional center, he lives to "give back" and provide his input on regional center business.

Kimberly Isaac

Linda An

Linda recently joined the board of directors, but she is not new to volunteering at the Center. As a parent of young daughter served by the Center, she quickly became connected with the Koch-Young Resource Center. She is interested in advocacy for other families and is currently facilitating the Korean Support Group. She also serves on Lanterman's Self-Determination Advisory Committee.

Mark Higgins is the president of Higgins, Marcus and Lovett, Inc., a business valuation firm based in Los Angeles. The firm conducts valuation studies of both publicly and privately held businesses for a variety of purposes, including merger and acquisition, eminent domain, federal estate and gift taxes, income taxes, financial reporting, employee stock ownership plans, and litigation support. Read more ...

Ramona Warfield

Ramona is active with the the Client Advisory Committee and joined the board of directors in July of 2015. She is active in her community and works part-time.

Yudy Mazariegos

Yudy was elected to Lanterman's board in February 2016. She is a long time volunteer with Lanterman, including serving on the Programs and Services Committee and as a Peer Support Partner. She is the parent of a young adult with autism served by the Center.

Quick Links

50th Anniversary Edition of the History of the Regional Centers in California

Strengthening the Commitment... Reinvesting in the System: A Journey of Community Partnership

The history chronicles more than five decades of the regional centers' journey - of learning from experience, gaining new knowledge, taking steps forward, and constantly facing new challenges. Print copies are available at the Koch-Young Resource Center but you can also download a PDF from the link below.

Lanterman’s Instagram Account

Follow along on Instagram in 2016 as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the regional center system through photos.

We’ll document the successes and struggles in establishing a statewide system comprised of 21 regional centers, and highlight milestones, achievements and challenges faced during the five decade long journey from 1966 to 2016.

Find Lanterman’s Instagram Account
If you have an Instagram account, search for us @frankdlantermanrc and follow our page from your phone app.

New 2016 Parking Rates

When visiting Lanterman, please note the new parking rates that will be effective January 1, 2016 in the building's parking structure. The new rate is $2 for every 15 minutes with a maximum rate of $16 for all day parking. The $5 early bird special when you arrive before 10 a.m. will still be honored. Also, just a reminder that we do not validate for visitor parking.

Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center is a private, non-profit corporation that operates under contract with Californiaâ€™s Department of Developmental Services.

The Center serves over 7,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities, who have or are at risk for a developmental delay or disability, and who are at high-risk of parenting an infant with a disability.

Tis’ the Season of Sharing

Lanterman’s annual Holidays are for Sharing campaign raises funds for the Help Fund, which provides support for clients and families to partake in holiday festivities and for year-round emergency funding for those members of our community in need.